Irish manager Mick McCarthy has made six changes to his squad of 22 for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Lithuania with Denis Irwin, Niall Quinn and Phil Babb among the players who have been included again.

Goalkeeper Keith Branagan, Middlesbrough's Alan Moore and young Norwich striker Keith O'Neill are the other players to return as McCarthy attempts to cope with a handful of injuries and suspensions for a game in which any slip-ups could prove very costly indeed.

Omitted for the game, which takes place at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday week, are defender Gary Kelly (suspended), goalkeeper Alan Kelly (injured), as well as Jon Goodman, who has been ruled out for the season after suffering a cruciate ligament problem during the pre-season build-up at Wimbledon.

Gareth Farrelly is included in the under-21 squad rather than the senior panel while Dave Savage loses out altogether on this occasion.

While Phil Babb has been included on the strength of a good pre-season programme at Liverpool and Terry Phelan has been forgiven after apologising for his non-appearance in May, the return of Quinn, who McCarthy plans to watch tomorrow afternoon when Sunderland play Sheffield United, appears to be the most significant development with the Dubliner now fully fit again after another frustrating year. The former Arsenal and Manchester City striker had originally been included in the panel for the Liechtenstein game at the start of the summer but was forced to withdraw on that occasion.

Now the 30-year-old striker will be hoping to re-establish his claim to a place in the starting line-up in the face of greatly increased competition from emerging talent David Connolly.

"I'm delighted for David and I'd have loved to go over and see him this weekend but I know he's fit and can only be benefiting from playing with a team like Feyenoord compared to Watford where he was having problems. At the moment it's more important for me to go and see Quinny who I haven't seen play since he got fully fit again," said McCarthy.

The Irish manager admitted that he was pleased with the way things had gone over the summer for his players, particularly with Farrelly's move to Everton, Ian Harte's new contract at Leeds and Connolly's move to the Netherlands but, he added, there were still one or two players whose positions are giving cause for concern.

"It was a good summer for Gareth, Ian and David but we've still got others who I hope will be involved. Mark Kennedy - I'd love to see him fit in at Liverpool - and someone like David Kelly, I know he's been around for a long time now but the move to Tranmere would be a very good thing if it means first-team football for him."

Another player over whom a slight question mark remains is goalkeeper Shay Given. Having originally appeared to be a clear-cut first choice at his new club he now faces fierce competition from the in-form Pavel Srnicek, a point which is obviously causing the Irish manager some concern.

"I've spoken to Kenny about it and he says he has a decision to make which he hasn't made yet," said McCarthy yesterday. "I think he's the best keeper of the three at the club, it's as simple as that but I can only hope he plays because if he doesn't we're back to where we were last season."

In the under-21 squad, meanwhile, Ian Evans has called up six of the players that helped the under-20s to third place in the World Championships in Malaysia last month. Derek O'Connor, David Worrell, Robert Ryan, Thomas Morgan, Neale Fenn and Niall Inman are all included for the game with Lithuania on the 19th at Dalymount Park, while Evans has decided to give Blackburn's Damien Duff, who was included in both Irish panels over the summer, a rest for the moment.

Senior Squad: Given (Newcastle), Branagan (Bolton), Kenna (Blackburn), Irwin (Man Utd), Staunton (Aston Villa), Cunningham (Wimbledon), Harte (Leeds), Breen (Coventry), Fleming (Middlesbrough), Phelan (Everton), Babb (Liverpool), Houghton (Reading), Keane (Man Utd), Townsend (Aston Villa), McLoughlin (Portsmouth), Ken- nedy (Liverpool), Moore (Middlesbrough), Connolly (Feyenoord), O'Neill (Norwich), Cascarino (Nancy), Quinn (Sunderland), Kelly (Tranmere).

Under-21 squad: Murphy (Wimbledon), O'Connor (Huddersfield Town), Worrell (Blackburn), McDonnell (UCD), Quinn (Crystal Palace), Maher (Tottenham), Carr (Tottenham), Ryan (Huddersfield), Kilbaine (West Brom), Finnan (Notts Co), Boland (Coventry), Morgan (St Patrick's Athletic), Farrelly (Everton), George (Luton), Kelly (Man City), Fenn (Tottenham), Delap (Carlisle), Inman (Peterborough).

Graeme Le Saux returned to Chelsea yesterday after a mistake which has cost the Londoners four years and more than £4 million to put right.

Ruud Gullit snatched the 28year-old England wing back from under the noses of Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in a rushed deal that will see him make his debut against Coventry today.